1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a connector with a terminal fitting and a retainer to prevent removal of the terminal fitting.
2. Description of the Related Art
A prior art connector with a retainer to prevent removal of a terminal is disclosed in DE-A-3705739. This prior art connector includes opposite front and rear ends. A terminal is inserted into the rear end of the prior art connector housing, and a retainer is installed into a side of the connector housing. The retainer includes an arm-shaped holding piece, and the holding piece includes a projection. The retainer is held at a predetermined position by mounting the holding piece along an outer surface of the connector housing. In the retainer-mounted state, the projection is locked to the terminal and prevents removal of the terminal.
The holding piece of the retainer of this prior art connector is exposed to the outer surface of the connector housing. Thus, there is a possibility that component parts may interfere with the holding piece. Additionally, the projection that prevents removal of the terminal is formed at the front end of the holding piece. Therefore, the interference from the component parts can affect the removal projection. In this case, there is a possibility that the projection may be dislocated in a direction that enables removal from the terminal. Thus, the prior art connector is not reliable in this respect.
To solve the above-described problem, it is conceivable to form the removal prevention projection independently of the holding piece. The removal prevention projection then could be fit into the connector housing. In this case, the removal prevention projection would project in the direction in which it is assembled on the connector housing, similarly to the holding piece. However, such a configuration may cause the holding piece to be deformed or damaged when the front end of the holding piece strikes against the outer surface of the prior art connector housing.
A very thick and wide holding piece could be sufficiently rigid to avoid damage. In this case, however, the holding piece would project significantly from the outer surface of the connector housing, and hence would not comply with a demand for a compact connector.
The present invention has been made in view of the above-described situation, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a connector having an improved operability.